2015-03-04

The Musashi was the second of the legendary Yamato-class ships built by the Japanese Navy, and the first one sunk (in my reckoning it's been sunk twice: I defeated two Yamato-class ships in a single war patrol in 1942 playing Silent Service II, meaning one was Yamato and one was Musashi). In fact, the game's manual features a great summary of the Battle of the Leyte Gulf (apologies for the ALL CAPS, but that's how it was typed):

DESPITE A DARING PLAN TO BYPASS THE PHILIPPINES AND INVADE FORMOSA, POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS DICTATED RECAPTURE OF THIS GIGANTIC ISLAND CHAIN. THE FIRST LANDINGS WERE IN THE PROTECTED WATERS OF LEYTE GULF ON OCTOBER 20, 1944. MEANWHILE, THE JAPANESE MUSTERED THEIR REMAINING NAVAL STRENGTH TO STOP THE INVASION. A PLANELESS CARRIER FLEET SORTIED FROM JAPAN AND SUCCESSFULLY DREW OFF THE AMERICAN CARRIERS, WHO SANK THESE "DECOYS" OFF CAPE ENGANO ON OCTOBER 25, 1944. MEANWHILE THE FULL BATTLESHIP POWER OF JAPAN SORTIED FROM SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA, STRIKING FROM THE SOUTH. ONE GROUP WAS INTERCEPTED BY AMERICAN SHORE-BOMBARDMENT BATTLESHIPS (INCLUDING SHIPS RAISED AND REBUILT AFTER PEARL HARBOR) IN THE SURIGAO STRAIT. THEIR RADAR-CONTROLLED GUNS DESTROYED THE RADARLESS JAPANESE IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR OF NIGHT BATTLE. THE SECOND AND STRONGER GROUP SUFFERED AIR RAIDS ON THE 24TH THAT SANK THE SUPER-BATTLESHIP MUSASHI (WITH 18 TORPEDO HITS!). AFTER A FAKE RETREAT JUST BEFORE NIGHTFALL THE GROUP RUSHED FORWARD, SURPRISING THE AMERICAN SHIPS COVERING THE INVASION THE NEXT MORNING. IN THE FAMOUS BATTLE OFF SAMAR ON OCTOBER 25TH, A GROUP OF SLOW AMERICAN ESCORT CARRIERS WAS OVERTAKEN BY THE JAPANESE FORCE OF 4 BATTLESHIPS, 6 CRUISERS AND 11 DESTROYERS. THEY VIRTUALLY WIPED OUT "TAFFY 3'S" ESCORT CARRIERS, DESTROYERS AND DESTROYER ESCORTS. BUT THE TINY AMERICAN SHIPS, SUPPORTED BY ANY PLANE THAT COULD FLY, SANK A FEW CRUISERS AND SO DEMORALIZED THE JAPANESE THAT THEY RETIRED INSTEAD OF PRESSING AHEAD. THIS HEROIC FIGHT SAVED THE AMERICAN INVASION FORCE.

OVERALL THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF, OCTOBER 24-25, 1944, WAS THE GREATEST NAVAL BATTLE IN WORLD HISTORY. IT WAS A DECISIVE JAPANESE DEFEAT. THE REMNANTS OF THE IMPERIAL NAVY SCATTERED TO PROTECTED ANCHORAGES. THEY NEVER REFORMED AS A BATTLE FLEET. MACARTHUR'S TROOPS SECURED LEYTE ISLAND IN DECEMBER 1944, THEN INVADED LUZON ON JANUARY 9, 1945, CAPTURING MANILA BY MARCH. HOWEVER, MOPPING UP OPERATIONS ON VARIOUS ISLANDS LASTED ALMOST TO THE END OF THE WAR.